Just a few seconds' delay at the tee can decide between triumph and despair – Garrick Higgo experienced this firsthand at the PGA Championship, receiving a hefty penalty and narrowly missing the cut. This is the stuff golf dramas are made of, and the consequences followed swiftly.
The clock ticked down, and Higgo was mere fractions of a second too late for his tee time at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania. Rule 5.3a struck relentlessly: Two penalty strokes landed on his scorecard. A bitter end, because without this penalty, he would not have missed the cut by a single stroke. The stakes were high on the course, leading to a swift reckoning.
Game Over for Gaugert
The direct consequence of the disaster: Garrick Higgo immediately parted ways with his caddie, Austin Gaugert. A decision that sounds harsh but is not uncommon in professional sports when crucial mistakes occur. Gaugert has since spoken out himself, taking full responsibility for the timing debacle.
Garrick Higgo's former caddie Austin Gaugert posted a statement on Instagram (via @golfweek): "As a caddie, you try to do everything you can to prepare your player for competition and I fell short of that. Garrick was understanding throughout the situation and handled it with
Back to the Roots
Higgo has, in the meantime, already reacted and is relying on proven methods again. For upcoming challenges, he has brought his former caddie, Nick Cavendish-Pell, back on the bag. With him, Higgo won his first PGA Tour title in 2021 at the Palmetto Championship. A clear signal: after the frustration, the focus should now be back on truly strong golf rounds.
